Mary Pais on Human Rights And Pro Democracy Activism in Eswatini/Swaziland

Eswatini, formerly, Swaziland, is ruled by an absolute monarch, and has been under a state of emergency since 1973, when a decree was issued to ban all forms of political activism. It essentially banned the recognition of human rights, such as the freedom of expression, freedom of association, eg, all media is state-controlled. Thank goodness for social media and the internet! Political parties are banned, and the elections that take place, are cosmetic, the King controls parliament and government. Mary Pais is a leading activist for the democratisation of Eswatini, she shares her journey, progress being made to lobby for democracy, in a time when many political activists are fearing for their safety and lives.